The invention relates to a method and a system for data retrieval from machine tools, production equipment, or robots with at least one motion controller or drive controller.
Additional monitoring of machine tools, production equipment or robots by means of image or sound recording devices is well known in the art. For example, recording and storing image and audio data from production equipment together with the current time information are known from the abstract of the Japanese patent application JP 2001 125612 A. In an additional later step, these data are synchronized by means of their current time information. For this purpose, considerable storage capacities are necessary to ensure that later viewing or listening is possible.
The aim of the invention is to improve retrieval of various types of data from machine tools, production equipment, or robots with at least one motion controller or drive controller.
According to the invention, this aim is achieved by the fact that the image and/or video and/or audio data related to the mechanical movement in normal operation, synchronized in real-time with the data available in the motion controller or the drive controller, are displayed or processed synchronized in real-time. Thus real-time synchronized data can be made immediately available to a user.
A first advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that the data to be synchronized are selected by a user. Thus it is not necessary to always synchronize all the available data, but the data flow can be advantageously selected before or during operation of the indicated machines. Consequently, the user can also freely decide which data he would like to synchronize.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that the image and/or video and/or audio data is compressed before transfer. Thus the data transfer flow is advantageously reduced.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that several synchronized data blocks are stored for later use in a motion controller or driver controller memory after synchronized display or processing. Consequently, a user or a device for further processing may also view or process past events.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that the synchronized data is retrieved from at least one web server. Thus all Internet-related technologies can be used advantageously.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that several synchronized data blocks are stored for later use on at least one web server. Thus, a user is able to access synchronized data blocks for past events.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that additional data are recorded in the motion controller or drive controller and are synchronized with the image and/or video and/or audio data or the internal data. Thus a user can record and synchronize additional data not available in the motion controller or the drive controller. These data can include, for example, measurement data recorded by means of an oscillograph.
A further advantageous method of the invention is characterized by the fact that synchronization of data is started and stopped by means of an identification signal. Consequently, intermittent data are synchronized, but only when a particular identification signal appears. The identification signal, for example, can be the output of a comparator circuit that compares the measured values with particular upper and lower limits.
A first advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that the image and/or video and/or audio data related to the mechanical motion in normal operation, synchronized with the data available in the motion controller or the drive controller, can be displayed or processed. So a user can advantageously use a system that provides him the indicated data synchronized in real-time.
A further advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that a method according to one of Claims 2 to 8 can be implemented in the system. So a user can advantageously use all the aforementioned methods in the system.